The Tonight Show ("Weight" for It...)

Some of us out here in blogland are old enough to remember Johnny Carson. He's the guy who was Late Night Television - even though he wasn't the original host of the The Tonight Show.

And while I used to love Jay Leno's early stand-up routines, I never really enjoyed his run(s) as the host of  The Tonight Show... reading Bill Carter's The Late Shift and The War for Late Night didn't do anything to improve my opinion, either.

Once upon a time, I thought David Letterman might be a good choice - yes, I'm ancient enough to remember the daytime version of his talk show - but his schtick has gotten old and increasingly mean-spirited.

Frankly, I never "got" Conan - with the notable exception of the last few weeks before he was dumped from The Tonight Show. Yes, that means I'm chronically unhip. (I also don't get Seinfeld.)

But if anyone is going to take over at this point, I think Jimmy Fallon's warmth & willingness to be a complete goofball is a great idea. His backstage music videos with The Roots and guest artists are great fun - as is his pure enjoyment at playing silly games with his guests. Note: I thought he was just so-so as a part of SNL... so color me surprised to see him flourish as a late night host.

And as if to confirm my positive thoughts, this is how he went out on his last show. With the Muppets.